Britain's Top 50 Adventure Locations

Great Britain is the ultimate adventure playground. Yes, really! These islands are jam-packed with stupendous scenery waiting to be enjoyed and glorious adventures waiting to be had. But how many of Britain's Top 50 Adventure Locations have you been to? Where should you go next? Read on for Britain's Top 50 Adventure Locations and get all the inspiration you could possibly need for your next adventure.

Designed to accompany our Joyously Busy Great British Adventure Map, these pages feature great content - pictures, videos, articles, links, top tips and other good stuff - to bring each of Britain's Top 50 Adventure Locations to life. Got a suggestion for some content we should add? Email us any time with suggestions or any other feedback - we'd love to hear from you.

How Many Of Britain's Top 50 Have You Been To?

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GB Top 50 Adventure Locations

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Arran

Ben Nevis and Glen Nevis

Cairngorms

Cape Wrath and the Northwest Highlands

Galloway Forest Park

Glen Coe

Glen Lyon

The Great Glen

Knoydart

Loch Lomond & The Trossachs

Lochs Tummel & Rannoch

Morar, Moidart and Ardnamurchan

Mull, Staffa, Iona and Ulva

Orkney

Outer Hebrides

Scottish Borders

Shetland

Skye

The Small Isles

Wester Ross

Anglesey & Lleyn Peninsula

Brecon Beacons

Llangollen Canal & Dee Valley

Pembrokeshire coast

Snowdonia

The Gower

Wye Valley and Forest of Dean

The Broads

Chilterns

Cornwall

Dartmoor

Dorset Coast

Exmoor

The Fens

Hadrian’s Wall

Isle of Wight

Isles of Scilly

Lake District

New Forest

North Downs

North Norfolk Coast

North York Moors

Northumberland

Northumberland coast

Peak District

River Thames

Shropshire Hills

South Downs

Suffolk Coast

Yorkshire Dales

Which Top 50 places are top of your list to visit next? *

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Scotland

Arran, Scotland

The glorious island of Arran is Scotland in miniature, a perfect adventure spot with its own highland and lowland areas. Alongside some great mountains, there's also a fantastic coastal road and a separate walking route, both of which circle the entire island.

Ben Nevis and Glen Nevis, Scotland

This is not just Britain's highest mountain, but the perfect highland setting for all manner of adventures using Fort William as your base. Hikers, climbers, skiers / ski tourers, cyclists, mountain bikers, paddlers, campers and road trippers are all spoiled for choice here.

Cape Wrath & Northwest Highlands, Scotland

Galloway Forest Park, Scotland

Galloway Forest Park is known as the "Highlands of the Lowlands". It's big, it's quiet, and besides an enormous number of trees it also has some lovely mountains like Merrick (843m) and the other 'fingers' of the Awful Hand range.

Glen Coe, Scotland

Britain's most dramatic and iconic set of valleys, boasting famous peaks like Buachaille Etive Mor (1022m), the Three Sisters and the Aonach Eagach ridge, has the perfectly contrasting neighbour: wild and empty Rannoch Moor.

Glen Lyon, Scotland

A remote but much-lauded valley: Sir Walter Scott called it the "longest, loneliest and loveliest glen in Scotland". It's not just a beautiful place - it's flanked by Munros aplenty so there are mountain-shaped thrills to accompany all that gawping.

The Great Glen, Scotland

A Joyously Busy Great British Adventure Map!

Includes Britain's Top 50 Adventure Locations and a boatload of other great stuff, such as 2,500 of Britain's finest mountains, wild places, beaches, islands, waterways, viewpoints, eccentric events, long-distance routes, inspiring trivia and even some vaguely useful information too. Take the folded, 2-sided version with you wherever you go, or get the framed version for some wall-based inspiration...

Knoydart, Scotland

A wild peninsula sandwiched between Lochs Nevis and Hourn, Knoydart is only accessible by boat or a very long hike. It is well worth it when you get there and enjoy a drink in Britain's most remote pub.

Lochs Tummel & Rannoch, Scotland

Morar, Moidart & Ardnamurchan, Scotland

Beaches so white they're referred to as the Silver Sands, Britain's shortest river and deepest loch, the most westerly point on mainland Britain, this barely-pronounceable place has it all... and a spectacular arrival via the Road to the Isles or West Highland Line train.

The Outer Hebrides, Scotland

Small, low-lying and utterly alluring islands joined by causeways and ferries, the Outer Hebrides are home to some of the world's finest beaches, including one which doubles as a runway for what's possibly the world's best airport.

Scottish Borders, Scotland

Slow down! Don't zoom past the Borders in your rush to the Highlands. Some of Britain’s very best viewpoints are here, including Scott’s View (Sir Walter's favourite), and no less than 4 great trails, Scotland's famous long-distance walking routes.

Shetland, Scotland

The very end of the land, with Britain's northernmost point (Out Stack) the finest of destinations. There's also Foula’s ginormous cliffs, Fair Isle (the remotest inhabited part of Britain), the northern lights and 1,700 miles of coastline with many golden sandy beaches.

Skye, Scotland

It sounds heavenly, and it is. Skye's scenery is among the most impressive in Britain, with the Black Cuillin mountain range dominating from every angle and grand adventures to be had all around this spectacular island.

Wales

Anglesey & Lleyn Peninsula, Wales

Anglesey, Wales' largest island, and the Lleyn peninsula, just to the south on the mainland, are shielded from the masses by Snowdonia, but they're almost entirely AONB thanks to a beautiful landscape and coastline. Great for adventures of all varieties, especially those involving water.

Brecon Beacons, Wales

The Gower, Wales

Britain’s first AONB, this 19 mile-long peninsula in south Wales has a beautiful coastline and beaches including Rhossili Bay, Worm's Head and Three Cliffs Bay. A surfing paradise and feast for the eyes.

Llangollen Canal & Dee Valley, Wales

A beautiful spot in north Wales that's quieter than its famous neighbour, Snowdonia, but no less appealing: excellent hills in the Clwydian Range, wonderful watersports potential on the Dee, and a World Heritage site in the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct on the Llangollen Canal.

Snowdonia, Wales

Snowdonia has it all: not only the highest peak in Britain outside the Scottish Highlands, but more iconic mountains (Cader Idris, Tryfan, the Rhinogs, the Glyders), hiking and mountain biking routes, forests, waterfalls and beaches than might be considered strictly necessary.

England

The Broads, England

The Chilterns, England

322 square miles of lovely chalk downland only a chaffinch's guff from London, the Chilterns span bits of Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire. Which is tough to say even without a mouthful of crackers.

Dorset Coast, England

Dorset's spectacular beaches and coastal features like Durdle Door, Lulworth Cove and Old Harry Rocks are linked together on the South West Coast Path to stunning effect - a cracker of an adventure playground.

Exmoor, England

Exmoor: a beguiling mix of rocky river valleys, big dark cliffs, an enjoyably empty section of higher moorland and great roads including the Atlantic Highway, with its views across the Bristol Channel to Wales.

The Fens, England

A Joyously Busy Great British Adventure Map!

Includes Britain's Top 50 Adventure Locations and a boatload of other great stuff, such as 2,500 of Britain's finest mountains, wild places, beaches, islands, waterways, viewpoints, eccentric events, long-distance routes, inspiring trivia and even some vaguely useful information too. Take the folded, 2-sided version with you wherever you go, or get the framed version for some wall-based inspiration...

Lake District, England

New Forest, England

The New Forest in Hampshire is Europe's biggest area of heathland, with great walks, cycling routes and views to the Isle of Wight... plus loads of wild horses strolling around nonchalantly wherever they like.

North Downs, England

Two lovely AONBs for the price of one, ridiculously close to London: the Surrey Hills, covering a quarter of the county, and the Kent Downs, stretching from the Surrey border to the white cliffs of Dover. All very quintessential.

North York Moors, England

Northumberland, England

England’s "last great wilderness", Northumberland national park is mostly wide open moorland, bounded by Hadrian's Wall to the south and the Scottish borders to the north. It's the least populated area of the country, and the largest area of protected night sky in Europe.

Northumberland coast, England

Northumberland allegedly has more castles than any other county in England, and many of the finest - such as Dunstanburgh, Warkworth and Bamburgh - stand guard over the stunning coastline, which boasts great beaches, Holy Island / Lindisfarne and top coastal nature reserves.

Peak District, England

The spiritual home of the national parks movement has great hills, wild and spectacular scenery, impressive driving / cycling roads, caves in abundance and some of England's finest adventure potential south of the Lakes.

River Thames, England

Shropshire Hills, England

Situated in the Welsh Marches, this lovely but sometimes overlooked part of Britain includes the Shropshire Hills AONB, a World Heritage site at Ironbridge, great long-distance walking routes (Offa's Dyke Path) and cycling / mountain biking options galore.

South Downs, England

Britain’s only national park in the south-east spans 87 miles of chalk hills from Winchester to Eastbourne, including a classic walk along the South Downs Way and the white cliffs of the Seven Sisters.

Suffolk Coast, England

The Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is 155 square miles of unspoiled, wildlife-rich estuaries, ancient heaths, and fine coastline. It doesn't so much scream adventure as whisper it.

Yorkshire Dales, England

The Yorkshire Dales national park is the centrepiece in northern England’s embarrassment of natural riches, with the Lake District to the west and the North York Moors to the east. A proper adventure location and some of England's best scenery.